Senior Reward Strategy Specialist - Croydon - Ruskin Square

Senior Reward Strategy Specialist - Croydon - Ruskin Square About the job

Job summary

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Senior Reward Strategy Specialist is a new position in a team that has recently been set up to assess and improve HMRC's reward offer to staff. This position is open to applicants from outside or within the Civil Service, who can use their experience and abilities to produce excellent reward policies in post. The successful candidate will be responsible for producing creative, strategic solutions to the compensation and benefits issues that HMRC faces, and implementing specific interventions to target them.

Reporting directly to the Head of Reward Strategy, the new Senior Reward Strategy Specialist will have autonomy to propose and implement meaningful improvements to HMRC's total reward offer. The job-holder will lead in the design of the future reward strategy for HMRC, considering both the delegated and SCS workforces, in support of the Future Operating State ambitions for the department over the next five years.

Understanding the central significance of reward and incentives to public service, the successful candidate for this post will have expertise in the area of pay, compensation and benefits and an interest in working at pace to deliver changes that will allow the Department to make an attractive offer to its staff, so it can meet its strategic objectives.

Job description

This job will be focussed on developing and delivering improvements to HMRC's reward offering. The objective is to develop a strategy that supports HMRC's Future Operating State, and coheres with central direction from the Civil Service-wide Reward Strategy committed to in the Civil Service People Plan 2024-27. The role will require an innovative approach to developing the future reward strategy, taking account of best practice and emerging thinking on reward. By working across the Department, engaging a range of stakeholders and driving forward change, the post-holder will need to be comfortable with long-term thinking and comprehend the significance of pay and other benefits as a driving incentive in the public sector workforce.

The position sits within HMRC's Pay and Reward team, working closely with operational pay colleagues. The Pay and Reward Team is part of the People Design and Services Directorate, which leads a portfolio of ambitious expert services within HMRC's Chief People Officer Group. Our vision is to create an employment framework and reward offer that enables colleagues to deliver HMRC's vision of being a trusted, modern tax and customs authority and through strategic objectives. As reward specialists, we collaborate across the department, using our expertise to design and deliver effective reward advice and solutions, that impacts the experiences of all HMRC colleagues.

Some of the key responsibilities included in the post are:

Lead and undertake reviews of the pay systems currently in place across the department, to support HMRC's ongoing transformation of pay, terms and conditions and ways of working.

Engage with best reward practice across the civil service and outside it, and work within the constraints of the annual Pay Remit and Senior Pay Guidance documents, to formulate workable solutions for HMRC.

Deliver concrete outcomes with initiative and innovation to create and improve pay and reward policies, which support the business in meeting operational and customer requirements.

Support and provide strategic pay policy advice to senior leaders, giving consideration to implications and impact of proposals across a range of business areas in the department.

Provide expert HR policy advice and answer complex technical queries on the full breadth of HR Pay, Pension and Reward policies, including completion of statutory financial and equality reports.

Proactively build trusting relationships and work with our business stakeholders, HR community and departmental trade unions to ensure policies are implemented appropriately, supporting our people to help ensure their experience of HMRC is positive, engaged and a great place to work.

Person specification

This role would suit a proactive, problem-solving professional, who has experience working in reward and a desire to bring about significant improvements in the civil service pay structure.

The ideal candidate would have experience in crafting and deploying a reward strategy in a medium or large organisation. Reward experience in a non-public sector context would be an advantage. An understanding of best practice in the compensation and benefits and a desire to bring those to bear in the public sector, is key. A track record of delivering large-scale people-focussed change projects over an extended time period would be beneficial.

The role would suit an analytical, data-literate worker, comfortable working with a variety of stakeholders to drive forward evidence-based change. The post-holder will need to be able to present solutions in a way that is clear to laymen, and plan effectively in advance to ensure timely delivery.

Essential Criteria

Previous experience working on reward in a large organisation, either inside or outside the public sector

Previous experience delivering a significant change project with successful outcomes

Strong written and verbal communication skills

Comfortable with detailed data analysis to provide actionable insights

Proactive, innovative thinker who is comfortable working independently on novel projects in an uncertain environment.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Changing and Improving

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £56,344, HM Revenue and Customs contributes £16,322 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

HMRC operates both Flexible and Hybrid Working policies, allowing you to balance your work and personal commitments. We welcome applications from those who need to work a more flexible arrangement and will agree to requests where possible, considering our operational and customer service needs.

We offer a generous leave allowance, starting at 25 days and increasing by a day for every year of qualifying service up to a maximum of 30 days.

• Pension - We make contributions to our colleagues' Alpha pension equal to at least 28.97% of their salary.
• Family friendly policies.
• Personal support.
• Coaching and development.

To find out more about HMRC benefits and find out what it's really like to work for HMRC hear from our insiders or visit Thinking of joining the Civil Service

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.

How to Apply

As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide the following:

• A 750-word Personal Statement. Your Personal Statement should be used to describe how your skills and experience would be suitable for the advertised role, making reference to the essential criteria and person specification outlined in the advert.
• A name-blind CV including your job history and previous experience. Your CV will be scored against the experience required outlined in the advert.

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Sift

In the event of a large number of applications being received, an initial sift may be held on your CV.

At full sift your CV and our Personal Statement will be assessed, with the successful candidates being invited to interview.

We may also raise the score required at any stage of the process if we receive a high number of applications.

Interview

During the panel interview, Behaviours and Strengths will be assessed.

Behaviours

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Changing and Improving

You will also be asked a technical question on " How would you take me through a major reward problem facing HMRC, and how you might go about solving it?"

This is an example of a strengths-based question:

"It is often said that the customer's needs should come first. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?"

There is no expectation or requirement for you to prepare for the strengths-based questions in advance of the interview, though you may find it helpful to spend some time reflecting on what you enjoy doing and what you do well.

Interviews will take place face to face in Croydon, Leeds, Manchester and Stratford. Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.

Eligibility

Please take extra care to tick the correct boxes in the eligibility sections of your application form. We understand mistakes sometimes happen but if you contact us later than two working days(Monday-Friday) before the vacancy closes, we will not be able to reopen your application for you. If you do make a mistake with your eligibility form, please contact us via: [email protected] - Use the subject line to insert appropriate wording for example - 'Please re-open my application - [insert vacancy ref] & vacancy closing date [insert date]'.

To check that you are eligible to apply for this role, please review the eligibility information before submitting your application.

Reserve List

A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made for the same or similar roles - if this applies to you, we'll let you know via your Civil Service Jobs account.

Merit List

After interview, merit lists will be created for each location advertised within the vacancy. If you are successful at interview, you will be placed on the merit list for any locations you have expressed an interest for. Appointments from each merit list will be made in strict merit order.

Criminal Record Check

Applications received from candidates with a criminal record are considered fairly in accordance with the DBS Code of Practice and the Recruitment of ex-offenders Policy.

Reasonable Adjustments

We want to make sure no one is put at a disadvantage during our recruitment process. To assist you with this, we will reduce or remove any barriers where possible and provide additional support where appropriate.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

• Contact the UBS Recruitment team via [email protected] as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the "Assistance required" section in the "Additional requirements" page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you're deaf, a Language Service Professional.

Important information for existing HMRC contractual homeworkers:

This role may be suitable for existing HMRC employees who are contractual homeworkers. Occasional attendance to the office will be required where there is a business need. Please consider the advertised office locations for this role when applying and only select locations from the 'location preferences' section that you can travel to.

Terms and Conditions

Customer facing roles in HMRC require the ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English and/or Welsh where required. Where this is an essential requirement, this will be tested as part of the selection process.

HMRC has a presence in every region of the UK. For more information on where you might be working, review this information on our locations.

The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. The evidence you provide in your application must relate to your own experiences.

Any instances of plagiarism or other forms of cheating will be investigated and, if proven, the relevant application(s) will be withdrawn from the process.

Recording of interviews is prohibited unless explicit agreement is sought in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulations.

Questions relating to an individual application must be emailed as detailed later in this advert.

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant's details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

New entrants will join on the minimum of the pay band.

Please note that, if you are applying for roles on a part-time basis, the salary agreed will be pro-rata, reflective of the working hours agreed within your contract.

If you experience accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).